In-mould labelling process

ABSTRACT

There is disclosed an in-mould labelling process for the manufacture of a labelled article comprising the steps of: feeding a labelstock web into a mould; forming an article in the mould such that the formed article contacts and effectively adheres to a label of the labelstock web; detaching the adhered label from the labelstock web; and removing the formed and labelled article from the mould.

This application claims priority to International Patent Application No.PCT/GB2013/050172, filed Jan. 25, 2013, which claims priority to UnitedKingdom patent Application No. 1201431.2, filed Jan. 27, 2012. Theentirety of the aforementioned applications is incorporated herein byreference.

FIELD

The present invention relates to a process and a mould for manufacturingan in-mould labelled article.

BACKGROUND

The technique of in-mould labelling (IML) has been known for many years.It involves the use of paper or plastic labels which ultimately form anintegral part of the moulded product. The in-mould labels must,therefore, be able to tolerate the heat applied during the mouldingprocess. The resultant product is a pre-decorated item, such as acontainer or the like, which may be filled thereafter. In contrast toglue applied or pressure-sensitive labels which appear above the surfaceof the container, in-mould labels appear as part of the container.In-mould labels are greatly advantageous over traditional labels to beapplied to an article after manufacturing thereof in that, the label isintimately bonded to the article and, therefore, highly resistant toripping, scratching, peeling and other forms of label damage.Furthermore, in-mould labelling effectively eliminates the need for aseparate labelling process following the manufacture of the container,which reduces labour and equipment costs.

In-mould labels can be used to cover a portion of a container or tocover the entire outer surface of a container. In the latter case, thein-mould label serves as an additional layer and may, therefore, enhancethe structural integrity of the container, or add to the barrierperformance of the container. Even in the former case, the labelledcontainer may be strengthened in the region of the applied label as aresult of the structural contribution made by the label.

In-mould labels generally comprise a carrier base, consisting of apolymeric or biopolymeric carrier film, on which a decorative pattern ora written message is printed. The adhesion of such labels to a polymericarticle can be enhanced by applying a heat sealable layer (e.g. a filmor a coating) onto the backing side (i.e., not printed surface) of thein-mould label which is to be in contact with the polymeric article. Thein-mould label may be cut to the desired shape and size from a largersheet of the label material, using label cutting apparatus.

In conventional in-mould labelling processes, a cut-out label ispositioned against a wall of a mould for injection moulding or for blowmoulding or the like and held in place by means such as electrostaticforce, vacuum suction or a handling unit, and a polymeric article ismoulded by injecting a mass of polymeric melt or by blowing a polymericparison against the mould walls on which the in-mould label is held.

Problems associated with conventional in-mould labelling processesinclude high operating costs, low output and the requirement of complexmechanical equipment for steps such as positioning the label within themould.

JP 2010-143136 discloses an apparatus for obtaining an in-mould labelledarticle using injection moulding. The apparatus comprises a label cutterwhich punches out a label from a label tape and then advances and holdsthe label at the surface of a cavity of a mould, the cavity is filledwith resin and the in-mould labelled article is formed.

JP 63-252718 discloses a method for decorating a hollow moulded objectwith a pattern, wherein a transferring foil with a printing layer isinserted into a mould, and said printing layer is transferred onto ahollow moulded object in the process of moulding the hollow mouldedobject.

JP 4-175141 discloses a process for making a blow moulded product whichincludes the steps of positioning a sheet having a surface pattern whichis incompatible with a parison in a mould for blow molding; extruding asoftened parison of a synthetic resin from a die head; holding theparison in the mould and blowing gas into the parison to be expanded toform a blow moulded product with a surface feature of the sheetreproduced on the blow moulded product; and separating the sheet and theblow moulded product from each other.

GB 1,031,518 discloses a method of blow moulding an article from a hottubular blank extruded into a mould, a printed sheet is inserted betweenthe mould wall and the blank and is bonded with the wall of the hollowedarticle formed. A similar process is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.3,227,787.

EP 0 324 857 discloses a moulding machine consisting of an injectionmoulding unit for moulding a preform; a rotary moulding machine which isadapted to receive the preform directly or after the temperature thereofhas been regulated, and which has a draw-blow moulding unit providedwith a blow mould for moulding the preform into a hollow container and amoulded product recovering unit; and a label insert unit. The unit iscomposed of a label supply means positioned on one side of the blowmould, a driving means for moving the label supply means towards andaway from the blow mould, and a label magazine disposed at the frontside of the label supply means.

EP 0 822 048 discloses a foil-decorating injection moulding method whichadjusts the tension of a decorative sheet so that the decorative sheetmay not break, slip off a clamper, crease or be dislocated when theclamper clamps the decorative sheet.

DE 1805328 discloses a method of forming decorations oncompression-moulded articles which comprises introducing a decorationinto a mould and forming an object by contacting it with the decorativepattern, wherein the decoration is introduced into the mould wall by areciprocating piston.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,501,548 discloses a label transferring device for blowmoulding machines which includes a sliding mould insert with a pluralityof label carrying segments which are shifted into an access aperturecommunicative with the mould cavity. A label transfer arm assemblyremoves a label from a supply magazine and places the label on oneexposed label carrying segment while another label carrying segment iswithin the mould cavity undergoing the moulding and label attachmentprocess.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,824,630 discloses a method for applying labels in themoulds of a plastic blow-moulding machine of the type wherein aplurality of sets of moulds are mounted on a wheel rotatable about ahorizontal axis and the moulds are moved toward and away from oneanother to enclose a parison and the parison is then blown to theconfines of the cavity between the mould sections, which comprisessuccessively die punching labels from a web directly onto vacuum cupsand delivering the labels successively between the mould sections.

Other in-mould labelling techniques are disclosed in, CN 201334143, JP3-26524, JP 2-41224, US 2003/0099793, US 2004/0056389 and WO 93/04842.

In-mould labelled articles are used in a wide range of industries anddue to an increasing social demand, it is becoming more common for thearticles in question to be recycled, particularly those articles made ofnon-biodegradable materials. When such articles are returned by theconsumer, they may be cleaned to remove any traces of their previouscontents and commonly, the in-mould labels are removed from the articlesso that either or both can be recycled.

Problems associated with methods known in the art for removing in-mouldlabels from articles include high operating costs which can render therecycling process uneconomically viable and the requirement of complexmechanical equipment.

WO 2006/054725 discloses an in-mould labelled article in which anin-mould label having a thermoplastic resin-containing substrate layerand a heat-seal layer that contains a heat-seal resin and awater-soluble binder is stuck to a shaped article and in which thein-mould label does not peel off from the shaped article even when thelabelled in-mould shaped article is dipped in water at 40° C. for 4days.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,807,243 discloses a label for in-mould forming havingexcellent suitability for de-labelling. The in-mould labelled containeris de-labelled by applying a temperature of 90° C. in a thermostaticchamber.

EP 1 553 126 discloses a stretch resin film having a liquid absorptioncoefficient of at least 5 ml/(m²·ms^(1/2)). The document also disclosesa de-labellable label which is removed from an object when sprayed withwater at a pressure of 2 MPa.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,165,576 discloses in-mould plastic labels which areprovided with separation interfaces whereby the printed surfaces of thelabels and the contaminating printing inks associated with them can beremoved so as to allow recycling of the bottle stock withoutcontamination by the printing inks.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,110,055 discloses apparatus and a method for its use incleaning comminuted thermoplastic material for reuse in manufacture ofmoulded plastic products. Batches of plastic including adherent labelmaterials and adhesives are agitated by a rotor until frictionallyheated to a predetermined temperature. A flow of air is used to carryaway loosened labels and adhesives. A small amount of water isintroduced as a spray to dissolve adhesives and soften remaining labelmaterials further, while loosened pieces continue to be removed in astream of air. Thereafter, remaining adherent particles are removed inan aspirator providing a multi-stage cascade through counter-currents ofair, and the particle-carrying air is then cleaned in a cycloneseparator.

Other in-mould label removal techniques are disclosed in WO 2005/120963and JP 7-92913.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is more specifically described with reference tothe following schematic figures:

FIG. 1: shows a section of labelstock web in the stretch blow mouldingarea wound onto spools;

FIG. 2: shows a preform being stretch blow moulded, adhering to a labelof the labelstock web and the label detaching from the labelstock web;

FIG. 3: shows the mould cavity wherein the article is blown and contactsa limited area of the labelstock web;

FIG. 4: shows a conventional labelstock web with a carrier liner and alabel material having printed label areas and unprinted waste areas;

FIG. 5: shows a labelstock web according to the invention comprisingonly label material, whereas the labels are separated from the remaininglabel material by a perforated or otherwise weakened borderline;

FIG. 6: shows schematically a mould and a labelstock web which is fedthrough;

FIG. 7: shows a mould with multiple cavities arranged where thelabelstock web is fed through all the cavities;

FIG. 8: shows a top view of the inside of a mould half with acylindrical deepening;

FIG. 9: shows a side view of the deepening of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10: shows a cross-section through the deepening of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11: shows the deepening of FIG. 8 in greater detail;

FIG. 12: schematically shows different views of a cylindrical mould halfwith a labelstock web path that extends within a plane;

FIG. 13: schematically shows different views of a cylindrical mould halfwith a labelstock web path that is curved perpendicular to the feedingdirection;

FIG. 14: shows two alternative ways in which a label can be removed froman in-mould labelled article using a wash-off process.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

There is a need for an in-mould labelling process which does not sufferfrom the disadvantages of the prior art. Further to this, there is aneed for an improved process suitable for removing an in-mould labelfrom an article for recycling purposes. From the description that is tofollow, it will become apparent how the present invention addresses thedeficiencies associated with prior art processes, while presentingnumerous additional advantages not hitherto contemplated or possiblewith prior art techniques.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is providedan in-mould labelling process for the manufacture of a labelled articlecomprising the steps of:

-   -   feeding a labelstock web into a mould;    -   forming an article in the mould such that the formed article        contacts and effectively adheres to a label of the labelstock        web;    -   detaching the adhered label from the labelstock web; and    -   removing the formed and labelled article from the mould.

In the context of this invention, by ‘labelstock web’ we mean any labelcarrier, preferably a web, for example a facestock web, from whichlabels may be removed. The web preferably has no removable backing orliner layer. This may have the advantage of reducing the amount of wastematerial associated with the process.

Advantageously, the label may be effectively adhered to the articlewhilst still being attached to the labelstock web. In this way theprocess of the invention effectively eliminates an entire step in aconventional in-mould labelling process—the previously necessary step ofremoving a label altogether from a labelstock web before positioning theremoved label in a mould. Another possible advantage of the process ofthe invention is that the label may be held in the desired positionuntil adhered to the article without the need for additional positioningmeans, such as vacuum suction. However, in some cases it may bedesirable for some form of such additional conventional positioningmeans, such as vacuum suction or electrostatic attachment, to beemployed to ensure correct positioning of the labelstock web in themould so that final securement of the label is in the correct positionwith regard to the blown polymeric article—i.e. the final label on thelabelled article is positioned correctly.

Preferably the step of detaching the adhered label from the labelstockweb is effected by removing the formed and labelled article from themould. For example the force of the article being removed from the mouldmay break the bonds between the label and the labelstock web thusremoving the label from the web. A possible advantage to this may bethat no additional equipment, cutting or otherwise, is required toremove the label from the labelstock web.

The label may cover the entire outer surface of the article.Alternatively, only a portion of the outer surface of the article may becovered. Label coverage may be dependent on the intended use of thearticle.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provideda process for manufacturing an in-mould labelled article, the processcomprising the steps of:

placing a filmic label whilst still attached to a labelstock web into amould for injection moulding, thermoforming, or blow moulding;

holding the labelstock web in position;

injecting a polymeric melt into, or thermoforming or blowing a polymericpreform in said mould so as to bind with the label; and

removing the article from the mould,

wherein the label is detached from the labelstock web during or afterbinding of the injected melt or the thermoformed or blown polymericpreform with the label.

The label surface may be printable. Suitable text or graphic can thus beillustrated on the article.

The label surface may be printed with a heat-resistant ink. The ink may,therefore, withstand the elevated temperatures during the mouldingprocess.

The label surface may be printed prior to use in the in-mould labellingprocess, by methods known in the art.

The label may comprise a film.

The film may have a monoweb or laminate structure, whether bycoextrusion, lamination, extrusion coating or further or alternativecoating, or any combination thereof.

The film may be a polymeric film which optionally comprises apolyolefinic film, for example polyethylene, polypropylene, mixturesthereof, and/or other known polyolefins. The polymeric film can be madeby any process known in the art, including, but not limited to, castsheet, cast film and blown film. Biopolymeric films such as cellulosicor other carbohydrate or lactic acid based films (PLA for example) arealso contemplated, as are other film forming materials such aspolyesters, polyacetates and polyamides.

The film may be of monolayer or of multi-layer construction. Thisinvention may be particularly applicable to films comprising cavitatedor non-cavitated polypropylene films, with a polypropylene core and skinlayers with a thickness substantially below that of the core layer andformed for example from co-polymers of ethylene and propylene orterpolymers of propylene, ethylene and butylene.

The film may comprise a biaxially orientated polypropylene (BOPP) film,which may be prepared as a balanced film using substantially equalmachine direction and transverse direction stretch ratios, or can beunbalanced, where the film is significantly more orientated in onedirection (MD or TD). Sequential stretching can be used, in which heatedrollers effect stretching of the film in the machine direction and astenter oven is thereafter used to effect stretching in the transversedirection. Alternatively, simultaneous stretching, for example, usingthe so-called bubble process, or simultaneous draw stenter stretchingmay be used.

Alternatively (or as well), the film may comprise a polyester film, apolyamide film, or an acetate film, for example.

The film may comprise any number of additional compatible functional oraesthetic materials such as anti-block additives, opacifiers, fillers,UV absorbers, cross-linkers, colourants, waxes and the like.

The film may be further treated, by corona discharge treatment forexample, to improve ink receptivity of the film or of the skin layer ofthe film.

The label of the invention may be provided with other layers, such asprimer layers, print layers, overlaquers, barrier layers and the like.

Barrier properties of the label film used in the in-mould labellingprocess of the invention may be further improved by the inclusion in oron the film of a transparent inorganic coating. Suitable inorganicmaterials include metal and metalloid oxides and nitrides such assilicon oxides (SiOx), aluminium oxides (AlOx), silicon nitrides (Si₃N₄)provided together with carbon, hydrogenated versions of silicon nitride,and mixtures of two or more thereof. Suitable techniques for depositingsuch coatings on the film include vapour deposition, physical vapourdeposition (PVD), plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD),dielectric barrier discharge or magnetron or radio frequency generatedplasma electron beam evaporation sources, induction heated evaporationsources, magnetron sputter deposition sources and atomic layerdeposition (ALD).

The films used in accordance with the present invention can be of avariety of thicknesses according to the application requirements. Forexample they can be from about 10 μm to about 240 μm thick andpreferably from about 15 μm to about 90 μm thick.

The label may comprise a film with a PvdC coating thereon. In this case,preferably, the label is oriented in the mould such that the PvdCcoating on the film lies on or towards the exterior surface of the labelwhen retrieved from the mould. More preferably, the film has a thicknessof at least about 15 μm, preferably at least about 20 μm, morepreferably at least about 30 μm and most preferably at least about 40μm. Generally speaking, the thicker the substrate, the better itsability to insulate the PvdC coating against heat from the moltenmaterial entering the mould, but such considerations must be tempered byconsiderations such as cost, functionality and aesthetics.

The label may comprise an adhesive layer at least partially covering orentirely covering a surface of the label which contacts the articleduring the in-mould labelling process. The adhesive layer may be presentin an amount of at least about 1 gm⁻², preferably at least about 2 gm⁻²or more preferably at least about 3 gm⁻².

The adhesive layer may be activatable.

The activatable adhesive layer may be activated by any activating meanssuch as moisture, pressure, chemical or heat, for example. Preferably,the activatable adhesive layer is heat activated, for example theadhesive layer becomes tacky upon heating.

The heat activatable adhesive layer may comprise a polyolefin such aspolypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE) or polybutylene; a polystyrene; apolyamide; a polyvinyl acetate; a polycarbonate; a polyacrylate; apolyester; a polyurethane; a fluoropolymer; a starch such as polylacticacid (PLA); or co-polymers, terpolymers or combinations thereof.Preferably, the heat activatable adhesive layer comprises anethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) co-polymer. The heat activatable adhesivelayer may comprise an EVA co-polymer in an amount of at least about 1gm⁻², preferably at least about 2 gm⁻² or more preferably at least about3 gm⁻².

The heat activatable adhesive layer of the label may be activated priorto the label being fed into the mould; preferably, whilst the label isin the mould; more preferably, during the moulding process; and mostpreferably, when the article contacts the label during the mouldingprocess.

The article may be at such a temperature that when it contacts the labelduring the moulding process, it activates the heat activatable adhesivelayer without substantially decomposing or damaging the remainder of thelabel. The temperature necessary for activating the adhesive layer maybe in the range of from about 40° C. to about 100° C. for polyesterbottle applications and preferably is in the range of from about 55° C.to about 65° C. The physical bond between the label and the article ispreferably such that the label does not peel off or detach from thein-mould labelled article at temperatures of up to about 55° C., forexample, during truck transport.

The label may effectively adhere to the article during the in-mouldlabelling process due to the heat or pressure, or preferably both theheat and pressure, of the article.

The moulding process of the present invention may be any known mouldingprocess, for example thermoforming, vacuum forming, injection moulding,compression moulding, or blow moulding. Preferably, the moulding processis a blow moulding process. More preferably, the moulding process isstretch blow moulding. Most preferably, the moulding process includesstretch blow moulding a preform. This may be done in a 2-step processwhere the injection of the preform and the stretch blow moulding of thearticle are done in two separate machines.

The article may be formed from any mouldable material such as plastic,rubber or glass. Preferably the article is formed from a polymericmaterial for example: a polyolefin such as polypropylene (PP) orpolyethylene (PE); a polyvinyl halide such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC);a polyester such a polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylenenaphthalate (PEN), polyethylene furanoate (PEF), Tritan™, or polylacticacid (PLA); a polystyrene; a polyamide; a polyvinyl acetate; apolycarbonate, or mixtures thereof. More preferably the article isformed from PET, which includes homopolymers and/or copolymers thereof.PET may be derived from crude oil or plants and optionally comprisescolorants, as may any of the mouldable materials.

The labelstock web may be provided with at least one area of weaknessfor facilitating detachment of the label therefrom. One advantage ofthis may be that detaching the adhered label from the labelstock web iseffected without the aid of cutting means such as a cutting tool or themould itself. The area of weakness may comprise one or moreperforations, thinned areas, scored sections or micro-tags.

After removal of the label, the remainder of the labelstock web (i.e.the section of the web from which the label has been removed—alsoreferred to as the ‘skeletal web’) may be recovered from the mould bymeans of winding a spool, gravity, vacuum suction, electrostatic forcesor another recovery means. Preferably, the remainder of the labelstockweb is recovered from the mould once the in-mould labelled article isformed. More preferably, the remainder of the labelstock web isrecovered from the mould once the formed in-mould labelled article hasbeen removed from the mould. The remainder of the labelstock web may beprovided in the form of a continuous residual web comprising at leastone aperture corresponding to the site from which the label is detachedduring the in-mould labelling process.

A second label may be fed into the mould and a second article labelledaccording to the in-mould labelling process. Preferably, the secondlabel is fed into the mould by winding the labelstock web forward.

The second label may be fed into the mould by winding the labelstock webforward once the previous label has detached from the labelstock web.Preferably, the second label may be fed into the mould by winding thelabelstock web forward once the previous label has detached from thelabelstock web and the formed and labelled article has been removed fromthe mould.

The labelstock web may be unwound on a first side of the mould andrewound on a second side of the mould, by using spools for example.

The in-mould labelling process may thus be run continuously.

Multiple labelstock webs may be fed into the mould so that two or morelabels may be attached to the article simultaneously.

According to another aspect of the invention, during the in-mouldlabelling process the labelstock web may enter the mould through a firstouter opening and leave it through a second outer opening. The firstand/or second outer openings are preferably arranged in a mould half.More preferably, the said openings are positioned on opposite sides ofthe mould, mould half or mould portion.

In the context of the present invention the term ‘mould half’ does notnecessarily mean half of a mould quantitatively. Rather, the term ‘mouldhalf’ in this context means a part of the mould which, together withanother mould half, is intended to form a mould and a mould cavityrespectively. The mould may define a cavity.

The first and second outer openings may be connected via a tunnel thatintersects the cavity of the mould. The tunnel may define the path ofthe labelstock web through the mould body. The cavity may divide thetunnel into two parts, a first part of the tunnel starting at the firstouter opening and ending at a first inner opening on the cavity wall anda second part of the tunnel starting at a second inner opening on thecavity wall and ending at the second outer opening.

There may be one or more tunnels per mould and/or per mould half ormould portion. This may apply to one or both mould halves and/or one ormore mould portions. The tunnels may be arranged one upon the otherand/or on opposite sides of the mould. For example, there could be twoparallel tunnels in one mould half and another tunnel in the other mouldhalf to apply two labels on the front of the article and one label onthe back of the article. Regarding the direction of movement of thelabelstock web through the tunnels, the tunnels may or may not be(substantially) parallel to one another. They may for example bearranged at an angle of at least 0°, 5°, 10° or 30° and/or at an angleof at most 90°, 80° or 60° to one another and/or to the central axis ofthe mould cavity.

A single labelstock web may carry one or more different labels (havingdifferent sizes, shapes, print and/or colours etc.) which may be presentwithin the same mould cavity at the same time; thus providing a highlyflexible in-mould labelling process.

The area between the first and second inner openings may define a windowin which a section of the labelstock web carrying a label is positionedprior to the article being formed, for example, prior to the blowmoulding or injection moulding step. Preferably, the side of the labelfacing towards the cavity interior (i.e. towards the article) is coatedwith an adhesive layer, which bonds to the resin material of the articlewhen it is still hot. Thus, the adhesive layer is preferably a heatactivatable adhesive layer as previously described. Preferably, theremainder of the labelstock web, in particular the area surroundingand/or adjoining the label, does not bond to the article. For thisreason, the remainder of the labelstock web may not be coated with anadhesive layer for bonding to the article. The remainder of thelabelstock web may be uncoated or optionally coated with a materialwhich does not bond to the article resin, so that it can be recoveredfrom the mould after the article has been removed from the mould. If anadhesive layer is present on the remainder of the labelstock web, anon-bonding material may be applied on top of the adhesive layer.

The first and second inner openings may be connected via one or twogrooves within and/or extending along the surface of the cavity. Thisallows for one or both of the margins of the labelstock web to cross thecavity within said grooves. In this way, only part of the width of thelabelstock web may be presented to the article during its formation(i.e. during the moulding or inflating of the article). Thus, when thearticle expands it preferably does not contact the labelstock web acrossits entire width. A similar effect may be achieved by presenting thelabelstock web to the article with one or both margins bent towards themould. Additionally or alternatively, it may be advantageous in thecontext of the invention that the mould covers part of the labelstockweb in the area of one or both margins of the labelstock web.Preferably, the mould covers the area of the labelstock web surroundingand/or adjoining the label so that during its formation, the articledoes not contact or attach to the surrounding and/or adjoining areas.According to yet another definition, on the side of the labelstock webthat faces the article, the mould may provide an opening that preferablycorresponds to the label in form and/or in size. However, it isconceivable that the opening may have the same form but be substantiallylarger in size than the label.

According to another aspect of the invention, the area of the cavitybetween the first and second inner opening (i.e. on the side of thelabelstock web opposite of the article) may form a recess wherein therecess preferably corresponds to the label in form and preferably alsoin size. In this way the article, while expanding and after contactingthe label, may expand further in the direction of the cavity wall. Theresulting protrusion may then have the form of the label and may becovered by the label.

In cross-section (perpendicular to the movement direction of thelabelstock web) the tunnel preferably has, in whole or in part, the formof a straight or a curved line. A curved line may have one, two or morepoints of inflection. In this context, a point of inflection means apoint where the curved line changes its curvature from left to right orvice versa. Additionally or alternatively, the first and/or the secondinner opening of the tunnel may have the form described above for thecross-section of the tunnel. Using a tunnel that is straight incross-section is easiest to implement and useful in a wide range ofapplications. In particular, the labelstock web may move straight withina plane and may thus present a planar surface (and thus a planar label)to the article during its formation (i.e. during the moulding of thearticle). Other applications however may require that the label (and/orthe part of the labelstock web carrying the label) which is presentwithin the mould during the formation of the article and which ispresented to the article during its formation to be bent, contorted, oreven twisted. In particular, it may be bent or curved in one or twodirections or dimensions. The direction may, for example, correspond tothe movement direction of the labelstock web or may be perpendicularthereto.

It has been described that in cross-section (perpendicular to themovement direction of the labelstock web) the tunnel preferably has theform of a straight or a curved line, the line having two end points oneat each end. If the orientation of a straight line through said endpoints is defined as the orientation of the cross-section of the tunnel,it can be said that the cross-section may preferably be orientedparallel to the longitudinal or central axis of the cavity or thearticle, or at an angle of at least 0°, 5°, 10°, or 30° and/or at most90°, 70° or 60° thereto. If there is more than one tunnel this may applyto one or more of them. More specifically, in this context the anglebetween a first and a second line that do not cross is to be understoodas the angle between the first line and the line defined by theorthographic projection of the second line upon the first line along orparallel to the shortest path between the first and second lines.Preferably, the cross-section of the tunnel serving as reference pointin this context is the cross-section in the area at or between the twoinner openings of the tunnel.

According to another aspect of the invention, a part of the cavity wallarranged in the area between the first and second inner opening (i.e. onthe side of the labelstock web opposite of the article) may bereplaceable and/or movable relative to the mould and/or removable fromthe mould. This allows for the variation of the surface of the cavitywall in the area behind the label. Such parts may have differentsurfaces facing the labelstock web.

There are several ways to control the area of the labelstock web thatcomes into contact with the article during its formation. Some have beendescribed above. However, more generally speaking it is preferred thatthe sectional area defined by the intersection of the tunnel and thecavity corresponds to the label in form and preferably also in size.

The labelstock web may be fed through a path provided in the mould alonga movement direction, which corresponds to the longitudinal direction ofthe labelstock web, into and out of the cavity. This has the advantagethat labels of different sizes can be applied to different locations onthe article. The path for transporting the labelstock web is preferablyformed by a slit or tunnel provided in the mould body.

The path may correspond to a plane intersecting the mould such thatopposite lateral edges of the path extend within the mould body, whereinthe plane is preferably flat or curved in one or in two directions. Thismeans that the inventive in-mould labelling process can be used inconnection with any type of container shape.

The form and/or size of the label may correspond to the area defined bythe intersection between the path and the cavity of the mould.Accordingly, only the label may be exposed to the article resin, theexpanding hose or tube, during the in-mould labelling process so that itcan easily be detached from the remainder of the labelstock web. Apreferred feature of the process is that the label of the labelstock webmay be positioned at a distance from the mould wall. This means that thelabel may adhere to the article before it has reached its final shape.Consequently, the label may also be expanded and deformed to a certainextent. The expanded or deformed label may have a surface area that ismore than 1%, preferably more 3%, and most preferably more than 5%greater than the surface area of the original label, i.e. beforeexpansion or deformation. It is understood that a label material may beselected which is sufficiently elastic in order to allow the requiredexpansion. It may be provided that the print on the label is selected(e.g. in terms of its size, orientation, position and/or print weight)to account for the expansion and/or deformation of the label during theprocess. During the in-mould labelling process, the label may deforminto embossing, debossings, concave or convex three-dimensionalstructures while pressed against corresponding mould portions and/or themould wall.

Where the label is pre-printed, the label may comprise at least one faceand the face opposite to the print on the label may be laminated with areversible thermolacquer adapted to weld at temperatures above 50° C.,preferably above 60° C. and most preferably above 65° C.

A gap of between 0.01 mm and 1.5 mm, preferably between 0.1 mm and 1 mmand most preferably between 0.3 mm and 0.8 mm, may be provided betweenthe label and the labelstock web. The gap is preferably bridged by aplurality of spaced apart connecting elements, preferably in the form ofmicro-tags.

The labelstock web may be equipped with position marks which allow anexact positioning of the label within the mould window. The positionmarks may be in the form of optical markers or indentations at thelateral edges of the web. The labelstock web may be introduced into thecavity at any angle, i.e. parallel or orthogonal, relative to thelongitudinal axis of the cavity or at any angle therebetween.

The labelstock web may be fed through a plurality of cavities arrangedone after the other. The in-mould labelling process is especially usefulin connection with linear blow moulding machines where a plurality ofidentical cavities are provided within a single mould—in contrast torotary blow moulding machines where a number of blow moulding tools arelocated on a rotating wheel.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there may beprovided a mould for manufacturing an in-mould labelled articlecomprising at least a first mould part and a second mould part, whichfirst and second mould parts, when combined, define a mould cavity withan inner shape corresponding to the outer shape of an article to beformed in the mould. The mould may be further characterised in that inat least one of the first and second mould parts, a slit or tunnel isprovided which intersects the mould cavity. This may allow a labelstockweb comprising spaced-apart labels to be fed through the cavity orsections of the cavity.

The slit and/or tunnel may have a first outer opening leading to a firstinner opening and a second inner opening leading to a second outeropening. The first and second inner openings may be connected via one ortwo grooves within and/or extending along a surface of the mould cavity.The area between the first and second inner openings may substantiallycorrespond to the size of the label to be applied to the article in thein-mould labelling process.

The slit and/or tunnel may define a gap substantially corresponding tothe width and thickness of a labelstock web fed through the slit and/ortunnel. Additionally or alternatively, the slit and/or tunnel may definea plane or curved path.

The mould may further comprise a recess for forming a protrusion orbulge on the article. The label may be applied to the protrusion orbulge during the in-mould labelling process. The slit and/or tunnel mayintersect the recess in a plane substantially parallel to a bottom faceof the recess.

The above described in-mould labels are greatly advantageous overtraditional labels to be applied to an article after manufacturingthereof in that, on the one hand, the label is intimately bonded to thearticle and, therefore, highly resistant to ripping and, on the otherhand, in terms of logistics because the articles to be labelled do notneed to be stored and transported to the premises where traditionallabels are to be applied. Among the many shortcomings of traditionallabels are that they become easily scratched; there is not an integralbond between the label and the article which results in peeling; and,the part is not recyclable for the reason that the labels are notcompatible with the underlying article. Typically, a standard adhesiveor stick on label is produced with separate layers including a gluelayer, a layer to cover the glue layer, a silicon layer, and anadditional layer to transport all the other layers. This type of labelstructure usually prevents it from being recycled. However, the in-mouldlabel structure and the labelstock web of the present invention are easyto recycle. In particular, where there is only a thin layer of adhesiveand/or thermolacquer on the label, it may be possible to recycle thelabel as a single polymeric material. Additionally, there is added costto the process of applying the label since it must be handled once forthe moulding process and a second time to add the label.

In-mould labelling using labels of the present invention address thesedeficiencies in that the labels do not get scratched easily because theyare more durable in adverse conditions (compared to traditional stick-onlabels); peeling does not result due to the integral bond between thelabel and the moulded article; the label is not subject to fading underUV rays; the label is compatible with the material of the article and,therefore, recycling of the entire product is possible, in keeping withenvironmentally friendly practice.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is providedan article labelled by the in-mould labelling process as previouslydescribed.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a process for removing the label from the in-mould labelledarticle described above, comprising the steps of:

contacting the in-mould labelled article with a wash fluid;

heating the wash fluid to an intended or selected wash-off temperature;and

removing the label from the in-mould labelled article.

Additionally, the process may include a step of comminuting the in-mouldlabelled article by any known means of chopping, flaking, grinding,mincing, shredding, crushing, pulverising or the like. Preferably, thein-mould labelled article is comminuted into less than about 3 cm²pieces, more preferably less than about 2 cm² pieces or most preferablyless than about 1 cm² pieces. The in-mould labelled article may becomminuted prior to entering the wash fluid, whilst in contact with thewash fluid or once it has been removed from the wash fluid. The in-mouldlabelled article may be entirely comminuted or partially comminuted.

Once the label is removed from the in-mould labelled article, thereexists the label and a de-labelled article, wherein the label and/or thede-labelled article may be whole, comminuted or partially comminuted.

The label and the de-labelled article may separate from one another viaa separating means such as electrostatic force, vacuum suction, airflow, sieving, a conveyor, filtration or density separation. Preferably,the label and the de-labelled article separate by density separation,wherein one of either the label or the de-labelled article is less densethan the other. More preferably, the label is less dense than thede-labelled article. More preferably still, the label is less dense thanboth the de-labelled article and the wash fluid. Most preferably thelabel is less dense than both the de-labelled article and the wash fluidso that the label floats in the wash fluid and thus, separates from thede-labelled article by floatation separation.

The wash fluid may be water, an aqueous solution or a solvent.Preferably, the wash fluid is an aqueous solution such as causticsolution; more preferably, the caustic solution comprises, sodiumhydroxide, potassium hydroxide or calcium hydroxide, for example. Mostpreferably, the caustic solution comprises sodium hydroxide.

The wash fluid may comprise sodium hydroxide in an amount of betweenabout 0.1 weight percent and about 5 weight percent.

The wash fluid may be heated to at least about 30° C., preferably to atleast about 40° C., more preferably to at least about 50° C., even morepreferably to at least about 60° C., still more preferably to at leastabout 70° C. and most preferably to at least about 80° C.

The temperature of the wash fluid should not exceed the degradationtemperature of the article and the label. Furthermore, temperaturesgreatly exceeding the boiling point of water are generally lesspreferable as the wash fluid of the present invention is preferablyretained in the liquid phase. Thus, the preferred upper limits of therange of wash fluid temperatures are, for example, about 120° C., about110° C., about 105° C., about 100° C. or about 95° C.

The label may expand upon exposure to the heated wash fluid. This maycause channels, capillaries or micro-tunnels to form between the labeland the in-mould labelled article, which allow the wash fluid to passbetween them and facilitate removal of the label by de-wetting thelabel/in-mould labelled article interface.

The wash fluid may be contained in a wash bath. The in-mould labelledarticle, comminuted or otherwise, may be placed sequentially in one ormore wash baths, which may contain wash fluids of the same or differentcomposition.

The in-mould labelled article may be agitated, for example: shaken,stirred, churned, mixed, vibrated or the like, by any known agitatingmeans. Preferably, the in-mould labelled article is agitated whilst incontact with the heated wash fluid which may aid the removal of thelabel from the in-mould labelled article.

It will be appreciated that, according to the present invention, theadhesive layer and any other additional layers employed in the filmiclabel may be tightly bound to one another and to the polymeric corelayer to prevent delamination during the process, as preferably, theentire label is removed from the in-mould labelled article during theprocess.

Once the label has been removed from the in-mould labelled article, thelabel or the de-labelled article or both, may be recovered from the washfluid by any known recovery means such as vacuum suction, sieving,skimming off the top or directed air flow. Preferably, the label and thede-labelled article are recovered from the wash fluid separately so thatan additional separating step may not be required.

The process may be run continuously.

Once the label has been removed from the in-mould labelled article, thelabel or the de-labelled article or both may be further processed. Forexample, the comminuted, de-labelled article may be melted down andextruded to form pellets, chips, flakes or the like, which may be usedas a feedstock for producing a new article. Alternatively, if thede-labelled article remains in-tact then the article may be cleaned,relabeled and reused.

With reference to FIG. 1, there is schematically shown a labelstock web2 comprising a printed label 3 attached to the labelstock web viamultiple micro-tags 4. The printed labels are positioned such that theydo not extend to the edges of the labelstock web, in other words, thelabelstock web is a continual carrier. The labelstock web is fed into astretch blow moulding area 5 using spools 1, 7, where an in-mouldlabelled article is formed. The printed label detaches from thelabelstock web in the stretch blow moulding area leaving just theskeletal web 6. By winding spool 7 forwards, the skeletal web is removedfrom the stretch blow moulding area and a new label attached to thelabelstock web is fed into the stretch blow moulding area from spool 1.

With reference to the schematic drawing in FIG. 2, there is shown alabelstock web 2 comprising a printed label 3 attached to the labelstockweb via multiple micro-tags 4. The printed labels are positioned suchthat they do not extend to the edges of the labelstock web. A preform 8is stretch blow moulded into a stretch blow moulded article 9. Duringstretch blow moulding, the label contacts the article and effectivelyadheres to it. The label detaches from the labelstock web as thein-mould labelled article 10 is removed from the mould, leaving just theskeletal web 6 in the mould.

Referring now to the schematic drawing in FIG. 3, there is shown a mouldcavity 11 in the desired shape for the article to be formed. The mouldcavity is positioned within the stretch blow moulding area 5. Thelabelstock web 2 comprising the printed label 3 is fed into the stretchblow moulding area such that the adhesive layer of the label faces intothe mould cavity. The mould is arranged such that the stretch blowmoulded article only contacts the labelstock web in a limited area 12,namely, the label and not the remainder of the labelstock web.

With reference to FIG. 4, there is shown a conventional labelstock web21 comprising a carrier liner 23, usually paper, with a Silicone coating25, on which a self-adhesive label material 27 is provided. The labelmaterial 27 is preferably, PE, PP, HDPE or OPP (oriented polypropylene)and comprises printed label areas 29 forming the label 3 and non-printedareas 33 surrounding the label. The printed and non-printed areas 29, 33are separated from each other by a gap 35. The gap 35 is introduced by acutting device which separates the printed and non-printed areas 29, 33during manufacturing of the labelstock web so that the label can easilybe detached from the liner 23. The label 3 has a printed front side anda backside. On the backside the label material 27 is coated with glue,providing a glue layer 37 for attaching the label to an article, forexample a container.

As shown in FIG. 5, the labelstock web 2 according to an embodiment ofthe present invention does not require a carrier liner. The labelmaterial 27 comprises printed label areas 29 and non-printed areas 33surrounding said label areas 29. Since no carrier liner is present, thelabel 3 (as defined by the printed label area 29) extends from the frontside of the labelstock web 2 to the backside of the labelstock web 2and/or the front side of the label 3 constitutes part of the front sideof the labelstock web 2 while the backside of the label 3 constitutespart of the backside of the labelstock web 2. In contrast to theconventional labelstock web 21 (see FIG. 4), the printed and non-printedareas 29, 33 are held together by 1, 2 and preferably 3 or moremicro-tags 4, bridge-like connections or a circumferential breaking linesurrounding the label 3. When the label 3 is removed from the labelstockweb 2, the skeletal web 6 remains. In contrast to the labelstock web 21according to the prior art, the labelstock web 2 is coated with a heatactivatable layer 39, in particular a thermolacquer. Preferably, thelabel material is the same material or selected from the same group ofmaterials as used for the formation of the article, onto which the labelis adhered. This may allow the recycling of the article without the needfor detaching the label.

The wording “printed area” 29 as used in this context is understood tomean the area of the labelstock web 2 that forms and/or defines thelabel 3. It is preferably (but not necessarily) printed and/or coloured(e.g. with one, two or more colours) and/or has a special surfacetexture (for example with protrusions or recesses). Such a surfacetexture is preferably different from the surface texture of the article(e.g. a container) on which the label is to be applied. It may also bedifferent from the surface texture of the so called non-printed area 33.In this way the label may later add features to the article likeimproved grip.

The wording “non-printed area” 33 as used in this context is understoodto mean the area that surrounds the so called “printed area” 29. It ispreferably (but not necessarily) plain, in particular not printed or notcoloured, and preferably has a smooth surface texture.

The wording “printed area” and “non-printed area” has been chosen tobetter distinguish the two areas 29, 33 and to indicate their respectivepreferred design. When used, the said wordings shall however (in thecase of “printed area”) also disclose a label area in general and (inthe case of “non-printed area”) an area surrounding the said label areain general. For example, the printing process may require that the socalled non-printed area is in fact printed, especially in those partsthat are close to the label area. On the other hand, the so calledprinted-area may not be printed but could instead have a colour that isdifferent from the one of the article the label is to be applied to. Itcould for instance be made of a coloured polymer. Alternatively, itcould have a special surface texture as described above or some othervisually or otherwise (e.g. by touching) perceivable characteristic.

With reference to FIG. 6, there is shown a mould 41 with a cavity 11through which a labelstock web 2 is fed. The labelstock web 2 enters themould 41 interior through a slit 43 or tunnel provided at the lateralside 45 of the mould. After the removal of the label 3 the skeleton web6 leaves the mould 41 through a second slit at the opposite side 47. Asection of the labelstock web 2 with the label 3 is positioned insidethe cavity 11 and is thereby exposed to the inflating hose or tube,which forms the article. In order to prevent adhesion of the skeletalweb 6 to the article, the surface of the skeletal web 6 directed towardsthe cavity interior may be uncoated or coated with a layer of materialwhich does not bond to the article, for example a silicone layer. Thelabel itself is partially or entirely coated with an adhesive on theside oriented towards the article. In other words, the part of thelabelstock web 2, which is to be transferred onto the article, is coatedwith an adhesive layer, preferably a heat activatable adhesive layer 39.Whereas the remainder of the web i.e. the skeletal web 6 is uncoated orcoated with a layer which does not bond to the hot resin material of thearticle.

As can be seen from FIG. 7, the labelstock web 2 can be fed through aplurality of cavities 11 of a single mould 41. The distance between twoadjacent labels 3 on the labelstock web 2 can be chosen to be the same,a fraction or a multiple of the distance between two adjacent cavities11 within the mould 41.

With reference to FIG. 8, there is shown a top view of a section of amould 41 with a recess 49 corresponding to and resulting in theformation of a bulge or projection on the article, e.g. a container.During the moulding process a label is positioned at said bulge orprojection so that with the inflation of the article (e.g. container)the label is effectively adhered to the hot resin material.

In FIG. 9 there is shown the slit 43 through which the labelstock web 2is introduced into the cavity. On opposite sides of the slit 43 bezels51 are provided which facilitates the feeding of the labelstock web 2into the cavity.

FIGS. 10 and 11 show an embodiment of a mould 41 with an inner contour53 the slit 43 for the labelstock web 2 intersects the recess 49approximately in the middle of its depth and extends beyond the recess49 so that a margin of the labelstock web extends within the body 55 ofthe mould 41. Preferably, the slit 43 intersects the recess 49 in aplane substantially parallel to the bottom face 50 of the recess. As canbe best seen from FIG. 11, the slit 43 has a substantially constant gapthrough its entire width. The ratio of the width of the slit 43 to thewidth of the recess 49 is preferably in the range between 6:1 and 1:6and most preferably between 3:1 and 1:3.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 10 there is provided a first insert 57or die, the front side of which can have different shapes so thatconcave, flat or convex label areas can be formed in the mouldingprocess. A second insert 59 forms in connection with the mould body aslit 43 through which the labelstock web can be introduced into and outof the cavity.

The present in-mould labelling process is particularly useful inconnection with linear blow moulding machines where one or more rows ofspaced apart cavities are provided in a single mould so that thelabelstock web can be fed through a plurality of cavities.

FIGS. 12 and 13 show, by way of illustration only, a labelstock web 2that is transported through a cylindrical mould body along differentshaped paths. The schematic representation of FIG. 12 corresponds to theembodiment shown in FIGS. 8 to 11 where in one mould half 61 there isprovided the recess 49. The labelstock web path leads through thesidewalls of said recess 49 whereby the path may be provided at adistance from the bottom face of the recess. The labelstock web 2 is fedinto the mould cavity through a first outer opening 63 leading to afirst inner opening 65 into the cavity 11, and leaves the cavity througha second inner opening 67, which leads to a second outer opening 69.

In FIG. 13 the labelstock web path is straight along its movementdirection and curved perpendicular thereto. As in the other embodimentsthe window of the labelstock web path (corresponding to the intersectionof the labelstock web path with the inner mould surface) substantiallycorresponds to the size of the label.

Next, with reference to the schematic drawing in FIG. 14, there is shownthe in-mould labelled article 10. In the top pathway, the in-mouldlabelled article, as a whole, is placed into a wash fluid 13 containedin a wash bath 14. The label 3 is removed from the in-mould labelledarticle, leaving the de-labelled article 9. The label and thede-labelled article separate from one another by floatation separationas the label is less dense than both the de-labelled article and thewash fluid.

In the bottom pathway of FIG. 14, the in-mould labelled article 10 iscompletely comminuted into pieces 15 prior to entering the wash fluid 13contained in the wash bath 14. Once in the wash fluid, the comminutedpieces of the label 16 separate from the comminuted pieces of thearticle 17 by floatation separation. Again, this is due to thecomminuted pieces of label being less dense than both the comminutedpieces of the article and the wash fluid, such that the comminutedpieces of label float to the top of the wash fluid.

The invention is further illustrated by the following examples, whichare by way of illustration only, and are not limiting to the scope ofthe invention described herein.

Example 1—In-Mould Labelling Process

A three layer polymeric tube was formed by co-extruding a core layer(comprising polypropylene homopolymer, 12% of 70% TiO₂, and 3%antistatic masterbatch containing a blend of glycerol mono-stearate andethoxylated amine) with a layer ofpolyethylene/polypropylene/polybutylene terpolymer (a random copolymercomprising polypropylene/ethylene/butylene-1) as an outer skin layer(first sealing layer) on one side of the core layer, and on the otherside of the core layer there is a laminating layer (apolypropylene-polyethylene/-polybutylene random terpolymer). The tubewas cooled and subsequently reheated before being blown to produce athree layer biaxially oriented film tube. The film tube was then nippedand laminated to itself (laminating layer to laminating layerconstituting one internal layer), spliced to form a laminated film withfive layers to provide a 58 μm thickness laminate film. The laminatefilm was also provided with a further layer of primer.

The laminate film was then coated with an adhesive layer comprisingaqueous dispersed EVA resin using reverse gravure laydown, before beingdried.

It will be understood that similarly constituted clear films may beprepared as above, but with the omission of TiO₂. In addition, it willbe understood that similarly constituted density/cavitated films may beprepared using standard techniques (such as cavitation around aparticle).

The laminate film was cut into the form of a labelstock, printed andmicro-tagged labels were die cut from the stock. The resultinglabelstock web was then mounted on a spool and fed through a mould to becollected on a second spool. As each die cut label was positioned in themould, a polymeric bottle preform of PET was stretch blown in the mouldto make contact with the label as described above. The labelled blownbottle was then removed from the mould with the label adhered thereto,leaving the labelstock remainder (skeletal web) behind/in the mould. Thesecond spool was then wound forward to bring a new die cut label intothe mould and the process was repeated.

Example 2—Wash-Off Process

Articles labelled with different label types were tested to see how longit took for the label to be removed from the article in a wash-offprocess according to the present invention.

i) PET Article Labelled with WPA or CPA Labels at a Wash-Off Temperatureof 80° C.

A labelled article replicating a label attachment corresponding to thatformed from the in-mould labelling process of Example 1 was formed byheat sealing a label to a PET substrate at either 70° C. or 90° C., and40 psi for 2 seconds. The label comprised a standard polypropylene labelfilm which was either white or clear, coated with an EVA adhesive layer.The label films used are produced by Innovia Films Limited under thedesignations WPA (white film) and CPA (clear film).

The labelled article was placed in awash bath containing a 2% sodiumhydroxide aqueous solution at a temperature of 80° C. and agitated by astirrer. The time taken for the label to be completely removed from thearticle was recorded and the results are shown in Table 1 below.

TABLE 1 Approx. Heat Seal Strength Wash-Off Time Coated Coat to PET at40 psi for (mins) Film Weight 2 sec (g/25 mm) Sealed at Sealed at Type(gm⁻²) 70° C. 90° C. 70° C. 90° C. CPA 0.94 36 48 — 2.2 CPA 2.04 215 3440.3 7.0 CPA 7.13 681 670 — 9.1 WPA 2.04 311 439 3.9 5.9

From the results it can be seen that in each experiment the label wasremoved from the article within 10 minutes of being in the wash fluid.

ii) PET Article Labelled with WPA or CPA Labels at Wash-Off Temperaturesof 60° C., 70° C. Or 80° C.

A labelled article replicating a label attachment corresponding to thatformed from the in-mould labelling process of Example 1 was formed byheat sealing a label to a PET substrate at 90° C., and 40 psi for 2seconds. The label comprised either a WPA or CPA label film (asdescribed above), coated with an EVA adhesive layer.

The labelled article was placed in a wash bath containing a 2% sodiumhydroxide aqueous solution at a temperature of 60° C., 70° C. or 80° C.,with agitation from a stirrer. The time taken for the label to becompletely removed from the article was recorded and the results areshown in Table 2 below.

TABLE 2 Wash-Off Temperature Wash-Off Time (mins) (° C.) WPA CPA 6031.7 >45.0 70 27.9 17.8 80 5.9 8.8

iii) PET Article Labelled with PP, HDPE, PET, PLA or Cellulose-BasedLabels

A labelled article replicating a label attachment corresponding to thatformed from the in-mould labelling process of Example 1 was formed byheat sealing a label to a PET substrate at 90° C., and 40 psi for 2seconds. The label comprised a PP, HDPE, PET, PLA or cellulose-basedfilm substrate, coated with approximately 2 gm⁻² EVA adhesive.

The labelled article was comminuted into roughly 1 cm² pieces and placedin a wash bath containing a 2% sodium hydroxide aqueous solution at atemperature of 80° C., with agitation from a stirrer. Each test wasrepeated twice and the time taken for the label to be completely removedfrom the article was recorded. The results are shown in Table 3 below.

TABLE 3 Label Substrate Type Test 1 (mins) Test 2 (mins) PP 3.15 3.25HDPE 0.47 0.50 PET 2.18 2.20 PLA 3.42 4.00 Cellulose 8.10 9.58

Again, it can be seen from the results that the wash-off process removesthe labels efficiently—in all experiments the time taken for removal wasunder 10 minutes.

The invention claimed is:
 1. An in-mould labelling process for themanufacture of a labelled article comprising the steps of: feeding alabelstock web into a mould; forming an article by thermoforming, vacuumforming, compression moulding or stretch blow moulding in the mould suchthat the formed article contacts and effectively adheres to a label ofthe labelstock web; detaching the adhered label from the labelstock web;and removing the formed and labelled article from the mould, wherein thelabelstock web comprises the label, a skeletal web and at least one areaof weakness for facilitating detachment of the label from the skeletalweb, and wherein the step of detaching the adhered label from thelabelstock web is effected by removing the formed and labeled articlefrom the mould or by the action of the forming step.
 2. The processaccording to claim 1, wherein the process further comprises a step ofrecovering labelstock web remaining in the mould, optionally whereinlabelstock web remaining in the mould is provided in the form of acontinuous residual web comprising at least one aperture correspondingto the site from which the label is detached during the process; and/orwherein detaching the adhered label from the labelstock web is effectedwithout the aid of a cutting tool.
 3. The process according to claim 1,wherein the label comprises a film; optionally wherein the filmcomprises a polyolefin film selected from polyethylene, polypropylene,mixtures thereof and/or other polyolefins; or optionally wherein thefilm comprises a biopolymeric film, a polyester film, a polyamide filmor an acetate film.
 4. The process according to claim 1, wherein thelabel comprises an adhesive layer at least partially covering a surfaceof the label contacting the article, optionally wherein said adhesivelayer is heat activatable, and wherein the heat activatable adhesivelayer comprises a polyolefin; a polystyrene; a polyamide; a polyvinylacetate; a polycarbonate; a polyacrylate; a polyester; a polyurethane; afluoropolymer, an ethylene-vinyl acetate co-polymer, a starch; or aco-polymer, terpolymer or combination thereof; and/or optionally whereinthe adhesive layer comprises an ethylene-vinyl acetate co-polymer. 5.The process according to claim 1, wherein the label is pre-printed,optionally wherein the print on the label accounts for any expansion ofthe label during the process; and/or optionally wherein the labelcomprises at least one face and wherein the face opposite of the printon the label is laminated with a thermolacquer or a reversiblethermolacquer and is adapted to weld at temperatures above 50° C.
 6. Theprocess according to claim 1, wherein heat and pressure of the formedarticle against the label causes the label to effectively adhere to thearticle, wherein the label includes an adhesive layer and a labelsubstrate; and/or optionally wherein a temperature of the formed articleis sufficient to activate the adhesive layer of the label withoutdecomposing the label substrate of the label.
 7. The process accordingto claim 1, wherein the label is effectively adhered to the articlewhilst still being attached to the labelstock web; and/or wherein thearticle is made of a polymeric material, optionally wherein thepolymeric material is selected from the group consisting of polyolefins;polyvinyl halides; polyesters; polystyrenes; polyamides; polyvinylacetates; and polycarbonates; and/or wherein the article is made of PET;and/or wherein once the adhered label is detached from the labelstockweb and the formed and labelled article is removed from the mould, asecond label is fed into the mould and a second B article is labelledaccording to the process of claim 1; and/or wherein the process is runcontinuously.
 8. The process according to claim 1, wherein the step ofdetaching the adhered label from the labelstock web is not effected withthe aid of a cutting tool.
 9. The process according to claim 1, whereinthe mould comprises a slit or tunnel intersecting through a walledstructure.
 10. The process according to claim 1, wherein the step ofdetaching the adhered label from the labelstock web is effected byremoving the formed and labelled article from the mold.
 11. A processfor manufacturing an in-mould labelled article, the process comprisingthe steps of: placing a filmic label whilst still attached to alabelstock web into a mould; holding the labelstock web in position;forming an article by thermoforming, vacuum forming, compressionmoulding or stretch blow moulding in said mould so as to bind with thelabel; and removing the article from the mould, wherein the labelstockweb comprises the label, a skeletal web and at least one area ofweakness for facilitating detachment of the label from the skeletal web,and wherein the label is detached from the labelstock web during orafter binding of the thermoformed, vacuum formed, compression moulded orblown article with the label.
 12. The process according to claim 11,wherein the labelstock web is fed through a path provided in the mouldalong a movement direction into and out of a cavity, optionally whereinthe path is formed by a slit or tunnel provided in the mould; and/oroptionally wherein the path corresponds to a plane intersecting themould such that opposite lateral edges of the path extend within themould, wherein the plane is optionally flat or curved in one or in twodirections, and wherein the form and/or size of the label corresponds toan area defined by an intersection between the path and the cavity ofthe mould.
 13. The process according to claim 11, wherein prior to theforming of the article the label is positioned in the mould such thatonly the label but not web remaining in the mould extends within thecavity; and/or wherein the label of the labelstock web is positioned ata distance from the mould wall; and/or wherein the label deforms whilepressed against the mould wall, producing one of embossings, debossings,concave and convex label structures; and/or wherein a gap of between0.01 mm and 1.5 mm is provided between the label and the labelstock web;and/or wherein the labelstock web is unwound on a first side of themould and rewound on a second side of the mould.
 14. The processaccording to claim 11, wherein the step of detaching the adhered labelfrom the labelstock web is not effected with the aid of a cutting tool.15. The process according to claim 11, wherein the labelstock web is fedthrough a path provided in the mould along a movement direction into andout of a cavity, and wherein the path is formed by a slit or tunnelprovided in the mould.
 16. The process according to claim 11, whereinthe labelstock web is fed through a path provided in the mould along amovement direction into and out of a cavity, wherein the pathcorresponds to a plane intersecting the mould such that opposite lateraledges of the path extend within the mould, and wherein the plane iscurved in one or in two directions.
 17. The process according to claim11, wherein the labelstock web is equipped with position marks; and/orwherein the labelstock web is fed through a plurality of cavitiesarranged one after the other.
 18. The process according to claim 11,wherein multiple labelstock webs are fed into the mould so that two ormore labels are attached to the article simultaneously.
 19. The processaccording to claim 11, wherein the labelstock web is unwound on a firstside of the mould and rewound on a second side of the mould.
 20. Anin-mould labelling process for the manufacture of a labelled articlecomprising the steps of: feeding a labelstock web into a mould; formingan article by thermoforming, vacuum forming, compression moulding orstretch blow moulding in the mould such that the formed article contactsand effectively adheres to a label of the labelstock web; detaching theadhered label from the labelstock web; and removing the formed andlabelled article from the mould, wherein a gap is provided between thelabel and the labelstock web, the label comprising label material,wherein the gap is bridged by a plurality of spaced apart connectingelements in the form of micro-tags extending across the gap between thelabel and the labelstock web, and further extending across printed andnon-printed areas surrounding the gap, and wherein the step of detachingthe adhered label from the labelstock web is effected by removing theformed and labeled article from the mould or by the action of theforming step.